Game



E. EBERT v sept. 13, 1938i.

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Riwo mwa. N R .w f o mdwom mhp atented Sept. E3, i938 iran STATES PATENT OFFICE GAME Edward Ebert, Brooklyn, N. Y.'

Application January 16, 1937, Serial No. 120,899

8 Claims. (Cl. 273-123) This invention relates to improvements in game mechanism by means of which players may exercise their skill in competition with each other.

An object of this invention is to provide a ball rolling game to be played by two or more players in competition under the control of an operator to ensure equally-fair competitive conditions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ball rolling game comprising a board having pockets or receptacles for a plurality of balls and contact devices associated respectively with the pockets or receptacles so that when the first player has directed a. ball into a predetermined series of pockets or receptacles he becomes the winner, the pockets or receptacles of the boards of all of the other players being cleared of the balls while those of the winner are maintained in played position until cleared by the operator. In addition, signal and indicating devices are associated with the mechanism to give additional visible and audible signals as to the winner and the series of pockets or receptacles in which the balls rest.

These and many subsidiary objects as will be apparent from the following disclosure are secured by means of this invention.

'I'his invention resides substantially in the combination, construction, arrangement and relative location of parts, all as will be described in greater detail in the following specication.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of/two of the devices of this invention and a portion of another;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line 2 2 of Figure l;

' Figure 3 is a front elevational view from the plane @"3 of Figure 2 of the lamp board associated with each device;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line Il--d of Figure 2;

lh'gure 5 is an underside view of the machin showing the rotatable turntable;

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line G-S of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line l-l of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a rear end elevational view oi one oi the devices and a portion of another with a part of the top of the lamp box cut away;

Figure 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing one of the switch or contact devices controlled by a ball when in a pocket;

Figure 10 is a similar view showing the ball drop board shifted with respect to the top board to permit the ball to fall through; and

Figure 11 `is a diagrammatic circuit layout'oi one oi the devices with the common control mechanism for all the other devices associated therewith.

It is important to note that a complete installation oi' devices in accordance with this invention consists of two or more of the devices or machines in cooperative association in order that a competitive game may be carried on between the players respectively assigned to each machine. In an ordinary installation there may be as many as fty of these machines operatively interconnected.

Each device or machine comprises a suitable supporting framework i and 2 supporting a boxlike structure comprising a bottom wall 3, a top wall l, side walls 9, and an inclined front end wall 6. 'I'he rear end wall is in part comprised of a hingedly mounted casing Il in which parts of the equipment are housed. The bottom wall 3 is provided with a hingedly .mounted door 4 which is normally held in the plane of the bottom wall by means of a latch 5. 'I'hrough the opening closed by this door access may be had to the mechanism. The top wall 'l is provided with an enlarged opening 8 at the front of the device through which the player may reach to secure each ball as delivered to him. At I0 is a wall preferably of transparent material, such as glass, extending between the side walls 9 and forming a table for any desired purpose, such as the deposit ofthe fee i'or playing the game. Mounted at the rear of the machine so as to be clearly visible to all players is a lamp box .|2.

Asis clear from Figure 1, the top wall l is provided at its rear end with a series of openings i3. The preferable number is twenty-four, arranged lin vertical and horizontal rows oi live each with the exception of the `central row which has no opening, at the center but is provided with a, semi-circular member B' permanently secured in place. It is apparent that the number of rows and the number of openings i8 therein may be varied if desired. At i4 is a semi-circular ridge secured to the top wall in the position shown so that the player must roll a ball to the openings I3 over it. A suitably shaped and transversely 4curved cushion 9a surrounds the openings as shownto direct the ball towards the openings. The guide member I4 serves also to direct a ball when it does not go into an opening back to the player so that he may continue to roll it until it is dropped into one of the openings.

Slldably mounted below the top wall 1 under the openings i3 is a ball releasing or drop frame,

v or translucent window guided in its movement by the guide members I5 attached to the side walls 9. A pair of springs 20 are attached between the forward edge of the frame I6 and suitable xed stops so as to hold the frame in a forward position against the adjustable stop I9. The frame I6 is provided with a series of openings I1 corresponding in number to the openings I6 and provided with a solid space I8 at the area below the projection B'. At the rear edge of Athe frame I6 is a pivotally mounted plunger 2l .which cooperates with the solenoid coil 22. Supported adjacent the frame and xed with respect theretoare a pair of contacts 23 and 25 positioned to be alternately engaged by means oi' a contact 24 mounted on the frame. Mounted on the undersurface of the frame are a plurality of multiple switches 21, each arranged to be engaged by a plunger 26 positioned to be engaged and depressed against the action of spring 26a by a ball when it drops through an opening I 6 and the frame I6 is in its forward position as shown in Figures 2 and 6.

In a circular opening 3a in the bottom wall 3 is rotatably mounted a turntable 26 mounted upon a shaft 29 to which is secured a wormwheel 30. Upon the shaft of a motor 32 is mounted a Vworm 6I `meshing with the wormwheel 6D. These parts are all enclosed within a housing and spider 29a which is secured to the bottom wall and supports the turntable in the opening. Secured to the upper side of the bottom wall 3, as is clear from P'Igure 6, are guide walls comprisingl the converging portions 63, the arcuate portions 34, the radially extending portions 35, and the terminal portions 66 extending at an angle thereto. These guide walls actas a sort of chute and receive all of the balls when released or dropped so that they rest upon the slowly revolving turntable 26 with the exception of those that move in'to the chute portion 35 where the foremost ball is prevented from rolling out of the chute by the upwardly projecting strip 36a. An ejectingvpin 31 lies in an opening in one of the walls so that when projected through the wall the foremost ball is released by pushing it over the strip 36a. This pin is pivotally mounted on a lever 36 which in turn is pivotally supported intermediate its ends and pivotally connected to a plunger 4I controlled by a solenoid 42. A spring 40 holds the lever 36 against a fixed stop 39 to retract the pin 31 when the solenoid 42 is deenergized.

The lamp box I2 is provided with a transparent 43, in back of which is a cell-forming grill 44. In each'of the cells is an electric lamp 45, one for each of and correspondl ing to each of theopenin'gs I3. The lamp in the central cell not being controlled by one of the switches 21 may be connected permanently in circuit in an obvious manner or the lamp can be omitted and the cell remain dark. Mounted upon the top of `the lamp box are three lamps 46, 41 and 48 which may b e termed the go light, the win light, and the stop" light, respectively. Mounted on the side of the lamp box is a switch 10 to be referred to later.

Referring now to Figure 1l, there is shown at 49 an additional lamp box having a plurality of targets or bulls-eyes 50 behind each of which is an electric lamp. At 53 is a visible number indicator having a movable pointer 54 actuated by any suitable form of electromagnetic step by step mechanism 52, which in addition to operating the pointer 54 operates a switch in an obvious manner to progressively light the'lights behind the bullS- lone contact of this switch eyes 56 through connectors in the cable 5I and the common lead Sla. At 55 and 56 are the main power supply circuit wires. Wire 56 is connected by a switch 51, which may be termed the go" switch, which connects the relay 59 in circuit through the wires 56 and 66. A wire 6I connects wire 55 with one terminal of the primary of transformer 63 for each machine. Wire 62 connects the other terminal with wire 56 through contacts on the relay 59. It is emphasized that the wires 6I and 62 extend to all of the machines so that all of the transformers 63 are simultaneously energized. One terminal of the secondary of thistransfor'mer, which may be called the common lead, as shown at 64 extends to one terminal of each of the lamps 46, 41 and 46 and to one terminal of each ofthe lamps 45 in the cable C and to each of the top row of switches 21 through one of the lamps. 'I'his common lead is also connected through the next lamp to each of the switches 21 of the next lower group and so on through the ilve lamps in each bank, as is clear from the drawing. The other terminal of lamp 46 is connected by wire 65 to the fixed contact 23. The other terminal of lamp 46 is connected to contact 25. .The movable contact 24 is connected by a wire 66 to the other terminal of transformer and to certain of the contacts of the switches 21, as is clear from Figure 11.

Each switch 21 is interconnected with the adjacent switches. Thus, the upper left hand switch 21 has one contact connected by wire 61 to one contact of the switch 21 to the right, one contact connected by wire 66 to the diagonally adjacent switch 21, and one contact connected by wire 69 to one contact of the switch directly below it. In a similar way, each switch 21 is five balls are in pockets or four balls are in thereto so that when horizontally or vertically, pockets diagonally in either direction, a circuit may be traced through all of the switches 21 closed by those ve balls to provide a circuit to the win light magnet 63. For example, all of the switches 21 in the topmost horizontal row will complete a circuit through them when balls are in the five receptacles associated with them. As stated above, one contact of the uppermost left hand switch 21 is 'connected by wire,61 to one contact of the switch to the right of it, one contact of this switch is connected by wire 16 to one contact of the switch to the right of it, n is connected by wire 19 to one contact of the switch to the right of it, and one contact of this switch is connected by wire 60 to the last switch, that is, to the one to the right of it. In the same way, it will be seen that these switches are connectible either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, throughout the entire row. It is hardly necessary to note thatV all of the switches 21 are normally open when there is no ball in the associated receptacle. The Wire 6I provides the terminal or return lead from each row of switches for either horizontal, vertical or diagonal rows. Wire 6I is connected by wire 62, to the win light magnet 63, which in turn is connected by wire 64 to wire 64 and by wire 66 to the magnet 69, which in turn is connected by wire 96 to wire 8|. Magnet 66 controls a switch 66 in' circuit with wire 61 from wire 6I and wire 65 back to the other terminal of the win light 41.

Switch 10 is closed when the associated table goes into play. This is normally open, and closed by the assistant to the operator who collects the fee from the player, and who closes the switch 10 to put the table into ccndition for operation. The closing of this switch completes a circuit from wire 55 through wire 6I to motor 32, one leg of switch 10, back to wire 62, through the relay 59 to wire 56. This starts the turntable 28 revolving. The function of this slowly turning table is to ensure that' the balls will not become bridged across the chute but ensures that the chute formed by the walls 35 will always contain balls. Switch 10 also partially completes a circuit to the ball ejector solenoid 42 from wire 55 through wire 13, solenoid 42, one pole of switch 10, Wire 15 and switch 14 back to wire 56. A circuit to the actuator 52 for pointer 54 is also completed from switch 14 through wire 16. The magnet 89 controls a pair of switches 92 and 96 which are shown in the normal positions for all machines. terminal of switch 96 and with one terminal of the ball drop solenoid 22 which shifts the frame I6. The other terminal of this winding is connected through the normally closed switch 92 to wire 93.. It may here be noted thatvwires 13, 15, 9| and 93 extend to all of the machines. Each machine, as has been in part noted, includes a motor 32, a transformer 63, an ejector solenoid magnet 42, a ball drop solenoid magnet 22, a win light magnet 83, and a magnet 89. Wire 98 extends from wire 56 to magnet 91. Wire |80 connects wire IDI, through the switch of magnet 95 and wire 96, to the other side of the line. Wires'llll) and 96' form a holding circuit for the magnet 91 and wire IDI. Wire 96' is connected by wire 94 to wire 93. Magnet 91 is connected by wire to the bell or signal device |82 which is connected to wire 56.

The operation of the mechanism will now be described. It will be assumed that a plurality of tables or machines are to be operated by players. The assistant operator collects a fee from each of the prospective players and as he collects the fee he closes the switch 18 for the machine to be used by that player. It should be noted that the frame I6, in the position shown in Figi ure 2, is in the position in which yit is returned by the springs 28 after dropping all of the balls B whiclr then rest between the guide Walls on the turntable. The foremost ball `is in a position to be ejected by the pin 31. When all the players are ready, the operator closes switch 51. This completes the circuit through the relay 59 which closes to complete the circuit to transformer 63 in an obvious manner. The energization of transformer. 63 energizes the circuit to the go light 46 through the contacts `23 and 24. The closing of relay 59 also completes the circuit to motor 32 through switch 18 so that the turntables of the machines in useslowly revolve. The operator then momentarily closes the ball ejector switch 14. This completes a circuit from wire 56 through wire 15 and switch 10 to the ejector solenoid 42, the return circuit being through wire 13. The` ejector pushes the ball over the stop 36a and it rolls down so` that it may be picked f upthrough the opening 8 by thelplayer. He

Wire 9| connects Wire 55 with one switch 21, as`noted above, also completes the circuits to the immediately adjacent switches 21.

At the same time that switch 14 is closed, an impulse is sent.to the device 52Y for` actuating the indicator 51 to progressively indicate how many balls have been ejected. At the same time, lights are progressively energized behind the bulls-eyes 58 to give an additional indication. As soon as all of the players have deposited the first ball supplied to them respectively, which is indicated to the operator lby the fact that one light 45 is lit for each machine, he again momentarily closes vswitch 14 to energize the ejector solenoid 42 re leasing the second` ball to each of the players. At the same time the indicator 54 and the bulls-eyes 50 indicate that the second ball has been re.

leased. The players roll this ball until each has deposited it in the opening I3 of his machine. At this time another light 45 on each of the machines lights as the balls are deposited and current is supplied to the adjacent switches 21. As soon as the lamp boards I2 indicate that all players have been successful in depositing the second ball in a receptacle, switch 14 is again momentarily closed. This is continued until 'one of the players has deposited iive balls consecutively in either a vertical or a horizontal row or four balls in either diagonal row. At the time the fth ball in the rst instance, or the fourth ball in the second instance, drops into the open-` ing and closes its associated switch 21, a circuit is completed from wire 8| to wire 82, win light magnet 83, and wire 84, ybaci: to the common lead 64. yThe energization of magnet 83 closes switch 86 which completes a circuit through Wire 85 to the Win light 41 of his board which signals the winner. At the sa'me time a circuit is completed through magnet 89 by way of wire 90 from wire 9|, wire 88, and wire 84, backy to wire 64. This4 causes closed sWitch.92 to open, and open switch 96 to close, on the machine of the winner but the corresponding switches of all' of the other machines remain in the position shown in Figure 11. The opening of switch 92 breaks the circuit to the ball drop solenoid 22 on the machine of the winner but the corresponding circuits for all of the other ball drop solenoids 22 remain closed at switch' 92. Switch 96 closes a circuit from wire 9| and wire 98 through the bell or other signal device |82 to give an additional and preferably an .audible signalto all ofthe players that one of them has won. The closing of switch 96 also completes a circuit through the ball drop control magnet 91 through wire 98 to` connect wire 93 to' Wire 98. The ball vdrop sole# noids 22 on the `machines of all of the losers are then energized from wire 93.l 'Ihese solenoids 22 cause frames I6 to shift to the position indicated in lFigure so that the balls may fall through the openings I1 and return to the turntable. However, on the winners machine, the ball drop solenoid 22 is not energized because switch 92 is open. 'I'he closing of relay 91 completes a circuit to the magnet 95 by Way of wires 94 and 96' from wire 93. The switch of magnet 95 completes a holding circuit for magnets 95 and 91 keeping wire 93 energized so that the ball drop solenoid 22 of the winners machine can be energized when desired( The shifting of the frames I6 breaks the go light circuits at contact 23 and completes the stopV light circuits at contact 25.

As soon as all players are satisfied as to who is the winner, the operator opens switch 51 which stops the motor 32 and deenergizes transformer to the turntable. The operatorl then resets relay 95 by hand, although it is obvious that this can be done by breaking the circuit to it, thereby opening the holding circuit for magnet 81 and de-energizing lthe remaining circuits including all the ball drop solenoids 22. Thereupon, the springs return all the frames I6 extinguishing all the stop lights 48. The assistant operator opens all switches 10 and is then ready tol collect the fees for a new game.

From the above description it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this invention involves certain principles of construction and operation which may be carried out in other ways without departure from the true scope thereof. I do not, therefore, desire to be strictly limited to the disclosure as givenior purposes of illustration but rather to the scope of the appended claims.

What I seek to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a game mechanism as described, the combination comprising a plurality of l playing tables each having a series of receptacles into which the players deposit balls, a plurality of interconnected contact devices respectively positioned under said receptacles, one each associated with each of the receptacles, and means controlled by said contact devices when all of the receptacles of a predetermined series on one of said tables contain balls for releasing the deposited balls from the receptacles of all the other tables.

2. In a game mechanism as'described. the combination comprising a plurality of playing tables each having a series of receptacles into which the players deposit balls, a plurality of interconnected contact devices respectively positioned under said receptacleaone each associated with each of the receptacles, signalling means conballs from the receptacles of the other tables,

and means controlled by an operator for discharging the balls from the receptacles of the remaining tables.

3. In a game mechanism as described, the combination comprising a plurality'of playing tables each having a series of receptacles into which the players deposit balls, a plurality of interconnected contact devices respectively positioned under said receptacles, one each associated with each of the receptacles, means controlled by said contact devices when all of the receptacles of a predetermined series on the winners table contain balls to indicate that condition, means for simultaneously discharging all of the balls from the receptacles of the other tables, and means controlled by said contact devices for preventing the discharge of the balls from the receptacles of the winner's table.

4. A game mechanism comprising a plurality of individual machines each having a plurality of ball receiving receptacles, a contact device respectively positioned below each receptacle. circuits controlled by the contact devices for each machine completed when a predetermined series of receptacles for a machine contain balls, and means controlled by the ilrst completed circuit for indicating this condition and releasing the balls from all the receptacles of the other machines.

5.`A game mechanism comprising a plurality of individual machines each having a plurality of ball receiving receptacles, a contact device positioned at each receptacle, circuits controlled by the contact devices for each machine completed :when a predetermined series of receptacles for a machine contain balls, means controlled by the iirst completed circuit for indicating this condition, and a plurality of means respectively connected to the circuits of each machine for automatically dischargingthe balls from the receptacles of all of the other machines.

6. A game mechanism comprising a pluralityof individual machines each having a plurality of ball receiving receptacles, a contact device positioned below each receptacle, circuits controlled by the contact devices for each machine completed when a predetermined series of receptacles for a machine contain balls, means controlled by the iirst completed circuit for indicating this condition, a plurality of means respectively connected to the circuits of each machine for automatically discharging the balls from the receptacles of all of the other machines, and a plurality of means each respectively connected to the circuits'of each machine for rendering the discharging means for that machine ineiective.

7. A game mechanism comprising a plurality of individual machines each having a plurality of ball receiving receptacles, a contact device positioned below each receptacle, circuits con- -trolled by the contact devices for each machine completed when a predetermined series of receptacles for a machine contain balls, means controlled by the iirst completed circuit for indicating this condition, a plurality of means respectively connected to the circuits of each machine for automatically discharging the balls from the receptacles of all of the other machines, a plurality of means each respectively connected to the circuits of each machine for rendering the discharging means for that machine ineiective. and means for actuating said last mentioned means for discharging the balls from the receptacles of that machine when desired.

8. A game combination comprising a plurality of machines each having a plurality oi!` ball receiving pockets, a contact device respectively positioned below each pocket, independent circuits for each machine connected to said contact devices whereby the closing of a predetermined 4series of contact devices by the deposit of balls in the associated pockets of one machine completes a circuit for said machine, a signal device energized upon the completion of said circuit to indicate that fact, and a plurality of devices energized upon completion of said circuit, for discharging the balls from the pockets of all of the other machines.

EDWARD EBERT. 

